Patents by Inventor Eric A. Pulsipher
Eric A. Pulsipher has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8045560Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to a system and method for managing a network having multiple domains. An exemplary method includes identifying a router interface connected with a switch; assigning a Layer 2 identifier to the interface, wherein the identifier uniquely identifies a Layer 2 domain within the network; and assigning the Layer 2 identifier to the switch.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2009Date of Patent: October 25, 2011Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Max C. Knees, Eric Pulsipher, Srikanth Natarajan, Zhi-Qiang Wang, Loren F. Wilson
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Patent number: 8005932Abstract: A method for discovering a network comprising network devices, the method including dividing the network into zones of network devices, in a zone of the network, identifying devices in the zone that have SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) access, collecting data from those devices in the zone identified as having SNMP access, and stitching the collected data into a topology of the network. A machine readable medium a computer program for causing a computing device to perform the exemplary method. A system for discovering a network organized into zones of network devices includes means for identifying devices in a zone of the network that have SNMP access, collecting data from those devices in the zone identified as having SNMP access, and stitching the collected data into a topology of the network, and means for transferring data to and from the means for identifying, collecting and stitching.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2003Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Max C. Knees, Eric Pulsipher, Gabriel Wechter, Kevin N. Smith
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Patent number: 7706382Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to a system and method for managing a network having multiple domains. An exemplary method includes identifying a router interface connected with a switch; assigning a Layer 2 identifier to the interface, wherein the identifier uniquely identifies a Layer 2 domain within the network; and assigning the Layer 2 identifier to the switch.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2004Date of Patent: April 27, 2010Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Max C. Knees, Eric Pulsipher, Srikanth Natarajan, Zhi-Qiang Wang, Loren F. Wilson
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Publication number: 20090316702Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to a system and method for managing a network having multiple domains. An exemplary method includes identifying a router interface connected with a switch; assigning a Layer 2 identifier to the interface, wherein the identifier uniquely identifies a Layer 2 domain within the network; and assigning the Layer 2 identifier to the switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2009Publication date: December 24, 2009Inventors: Max C. Knees, Eric Pulsipher, Srikanth Natarajan, Zhi-Qiang Wang, Loren F. Wilson
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Patent number: 7454488Abstract: An exemplary method for managing a network of nodes includes receiving information identifying the nodes of the network, and grouping the nodes into zones as a function of relationships among the nodes, such that each zone satisfies a threshold that is based on an operational capacity of a discovery agent assigned to discover the network. An exemplary system for managing a network of nodes includes means or a mechanism for receiving information identifying the nodes of the network, and grouping the nodes into zones as a function of relationships among the nodes, such that each zone satisfies a threshold that is based on an operational capacity of a discovery agent assigned to discover the network, and means or a mechanism for connecting to the network.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2003Date of Patent: November 18, 2008Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Gabriel Wechter, Eric Pulsipher, Max C. Knees
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Publication number: 20080183715Abstract: A network system comprises a discovery subsystem that identifies, enables for consumption, and consumes information. The discovery subsystem isolates business contents and device-specific logic using modular domain-specific contents and data definitions for normalizing the domain-specific contents and describing attributes and value types that uniquely define domain content independently of a device.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2007Publication date: July 31, 2008Inventors: Wei Wen Chen, Craig W. Bryant, Eric Pulsipher, Srikanth Natarajan, Chiachu Sun Dorland, Zhi-Qiang Wang, Manas Kumar Behera, Kumar Ramiah Karungulam, Frank Trujillo, Peter C. Notess, Daniel Okine
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Patent number: 7307962Abstract: A device discovery module of a network management software is utilized to discover the presence of layer-2 network devices. When enabled by a command from the network management software, the device discovery module may be configured to query or poll all network devices for information. The device discovery module may be configured to seek address information from an address resolution protocol (“ARP”) cache of a queried network device. The ARP cache may contain addresses, e.g., layer-2 address, of other network devices contacted by the queried network device. The device discovery module may be further configured to retrieve from the queried network device the port type and port configuration. After retrieving the address information, the device discovery module organizes the address information in an ordered list starting with the identified port of a network device and address information detected on the identified port.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2001Date of Patent: December 11, 2007Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventor: Eric A Pulsipher
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Patent number: 7075896Abstract: A method for the automatic layout of switched networks of switched network topologies. In representative embodiments, a topological map of a network is automatically obtained by combining various segments into one of three segment types, a bus segment, a serial segment, and a star segment. In the creation of the topological map of the network, the methods can be used to update the network map as changes occur.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2000Date of Patent: July 11, 2006Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Eric A. Pulsipher, Gautam Mehrotra, Mark A Schilling
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Patent number: 7039696Abstract: A software method is disclosed for processing data pertaining to connections in a communications network, such as a computer network. The data may be used to map the topology of the network to aid network management. The system creates data structures referred to as tuples to store the relationships between network nodes. A connection calculator receives tuple information from a tuple manager and creates additional tuples based on this data. The connection calculator identifies singly-heard host links, from which it then builds tuples to represent the network infrastructure. To build the infrastructure, the method creates tuples for the singly-heard host links, and then creates tuples for conn-to-conn links based on existing tuples and on hints derived from singly-heard host links tuples, which hints are maintained as extra host links tuples. The method then attempts to disprove invalid conn-to-conn links tuples and attempts to resolve conflicts between inconsistent tuples.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2000Date of Patent: May 2, 2006Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Eric A. Pulsipher, Joseph R. Hunt
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Patent number: 7027411Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for mapping the topology of a network having interconnected nodes by identifying changes in the network and updating a stored network topology based on the changes. The nodal connections are represented by data tuples that store information such as a host identifier, a connector interface, and a port specification for each connection. A topology database stores an existing topology of a network. A topology converter accesses the topology database and converts the existing topology into a list of current tuples. A connection calculator calculates tuples to represent connections in the new topology. The topology converter receives the new tuples, identifies changes to the topology, and updates the topology database using the new tuples. The topology converter identifies duplicate tuples that appear in both the new tuples and the existing tuples and marks the duplicate tuples to reflect that no change has occurred to these connections.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2000Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Eric A Pulsipher, Joseph R Hunt
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Patent number: 6961768Abstract: Automatic failover methodology provides a mechanism whereby a central control unit, such as a management station, will automatically takeover interface status polling of objects of a collection station that is temporarily unreachable. This methodology is applicable to any distributed computing environment, such as a data communications network, in which it is desirable to have a central control unit assume the interface status polling operation of a temporarily inaccessible collection station. The collection station may be inaccessible due to the network on which the central control unit and the collection station reside being down or due to the collection station being down for maintenance.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2001Date of Patent: November 1, 2005Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Wallace Clayton Davis, Darren D. Smith, Eric A. Pulsipher
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Publication number: 20050169239Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to a system and method for managing a network having multiple domains. An exemplary method includes identifying a router interface connected with a switch; assigning a Layer 2 identifier to the interface, wherein the identifier uniquely identifies a Layer 2 domain within the network; and assigning the Layer 2 identifier to the switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2004Publication date: August 4, 2005Inventors: Max Knees, Eric Pulsipher, Srikanth Natarajan, Zhi-Qiang Wang, Loren Wilson
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Publication number: 20050125518Abstract: A method for discovering a network comprising network devices, the method including dividing the network into zones of network devices, in a zone of the network, identifying devices in the zone that have SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) access, collecting data from those devices in the zone identified as having SNMP access, and stitching the collected data into a topology of the network. A machine readable medium a computer program for causing a computing device to perform the exemplary method. A system for discovering a network organized into zones of network devices includes means for identifying devices in a zone of the network that have SNMP access, collecting data from those devices in the zone identified as having SNMP access, and stitching the collected data into a topology of the network, and means for transferring data to and from the means for identifying, collecting and stitching.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2003Publication date: June 9, 2005Inventors: Max Knees, Eric Pulsipher, Gabriel Wechter, Kevin Smith
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Publication number: 20050108385Abstract: An exemplary method for managing a discovery-related process in a network, includes identifying topology information of the network using the discovery-related process in an active mode, placing the discovery-related process from the active mode into a standby mode using a management process, monitoring to detect specified events in the network using the management process and then forward the detected specified events to the discovery-related process, and/or monitoring to detect arrival of a predetermined point in time, and placing the discovery-related process from the standby mode into the active mode when the detected specified events exceed a threshold and/or when the predetermined point in time arrives.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2003Publication date: May 19, 2005Inventors: Gabriel Wechter, Eric Pulsipher, Max Knees
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Publication number: 20050075075Abstract: A method of determining a network management scalability threshold of a network manager with respect to a network, includes gathering information about the network, gathering information about the network manager, and determining a maximum size threshold of a zone in the network based on the gathered network information and the gathered network manager software program information. A system for determining a network management scalability threshold of a network manager with respect to a network includes a mechanism for gathering information about the network, a mechanism for gathering information about the network manager, and a mechanism for determining a maximum size threshold of a zone in the network based on the gathered network information and the gathered network manager software program information.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2003Publication date: April 7, 2005Inventors: Gabriel Wechter, Eric Pulsipher, Max Knees
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Publication number: 20050066020Abstract: An exemplary method for managing a network of nodes includes receiving information identifying the nodes of the network, and grouping the nodes into zones as a function of relationships among the nodes, such that each zone satisfies a threshold that is based on an operational capacity of a discovery agent assigned to discover the network. An exemplary system for managing a network of nodes includes means or a mechanism for receiving information identifying the nodes of the network, and grouping the nodes into zones as a function of relationships among the nodes, such that each zone satisfies a threshold that is based on an operational capacity of a discovery agent assigned to discover the network, and means or a mechanism for connecting to the network.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2003Publication date: March 24, 2005Inventors: Gabriel Wechter, Eric Pulsipher, Max Knees
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Publication number: 20040215781Abstract: Techniques are described for determining device connectivity in a network using protocol-specific connectivity information. According to an exemplary embodiment, an address forwarding database (FDB) is collected from the network. Protocol-specific connectivity information and interface information are collected from a device in the network. The protocol-specific connectivity information and interface information are translated into an interface connectivity database. Device connectivity in the network is determined based on the interface connectivity database in cooperation with the FDB.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2003Publication date: October 28, 2004Inventors: Eric A. Pulsipher, Srikanth Natarajan, Max Carl Knees
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Publication number: 20040172386Abstract: An exemplary method for managing a network includes selecting an agent based on information identifying a device in the network, contacting the device via the selected agent to extract data from the device, determining whether the agent successfully extracted the data from the device, and selecting a different agent based on the determining.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2003Publication date: September 2, 2004Inventors: Eric A. Pulsipher, Srikanth Natarajan, Gabriel Wechter, Weiwen Chen
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Publication number: 20040172467Abstract: An exemplary method for monitoring a network includes detecting changes in the network, and initiating discovery of the topology of the network when a number of the detected changes in the network exceeds a threshold. Another exemplary method includes initiating discovery of the topology of the network when a predetermined time period expires.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2003Publication date: September 2, 2004Inventors: Gabriel Wechter, Eric A. Pulsipher, Tyler G. Peterson, Srikanth Natarajan
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Publication number: 20020124079Abstract: A device discovery module of a network management software is utilized to discover the presence of layer-2 network devices. When enabled by a command from the network management software, the device discovery module may be configured to query or poll all network devices for information. The device discovery module may be configured to seek address information from an address resolution protocol (“ARP”) cache of a queried network device. The ARP cache may contain addresses, e.g., layer-2 address, of other network devices contacted by the queried network device. The device discovery module may be further configured to retrieve from the queried network device the port type and port configuration. After retrieving the address information, the device discovery module organizes the address information in an ordered list starting with the identified port of a network device and address information detected on the identified port.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2001Publication date: September 5, 2002Inventor: Eric A. Pulsipher